Drum controller



July 30. 1929. R. B. HUNTER DRUM CONTROLLER Filed Jan. '7, 1926 K 6kw... with. w V m m v 1am ux u K\\ a 37 g Y nuU hu M a n H s 3 LII! IL 3E E y 3 a 3 L 0T a d m \U U s ATTORNEY Patented July 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES.

1,722,295 PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD B. HUNTER, OF SHOREWOOD, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO CUTLER-HAMMER INC., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OFDELAWARE.

DRUM CONTROLLER.

Application filed January This invention relates to drum controllers andmore particularly to controllers adapted to effect joint control of aplurality of electric motors.

An object of the invention is to provide a controller of the abovecharacter for effecting the well known series parallel commutation of aplurality of motors jointly or for alternately effecting parallelcommutation of the motors directly, according to the direction ofoperation of the controller drum from off position.

Another object is to provide a drum controller of the above characterhaving associated therewith an independently operable auxiliary drumwhereby the circuit connections for the motors may be reversed withrespect to the line, any well known or suitable means being provided,however, for

preventing reversal of such connections pending movement of the maindrum to off position.

Another object .is to provide an extremely simple and compact controllerof this character for accomplishment of the aforementioned desirableresults.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

The accompanying drawing illustrates diagrammatically and schematicallyan embodiment which the invention may assume in practice, it beingunderstood that the invention is capable embodiment in other formsfalling within the scope of the ap pended claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a controllerconstructed in accordance with my invention, and

Fig. 2 is a top View of the controller casing showing the operatinghandles and having indicating legends applied thereto.

Referring to Fig. 1, the same illustrates a controller having a maindrum A adapted to effect acceleration control including series parallelcommutation, or alternatively to effect acceleration control andstraight parallel commutation of a pair of electric motors M M thelatter to be supplied with current from lines L L and being providedwith steps of starting resistance r to 1"; said controller also havingan auxiliary drum B for effecting reversal of the circuit connectionsfor the motors.

More particularly the controller comprises a set of eight stationarycontacts designated 7, 1926. Serial N0. 79,743.

as 10 to 17, adapted to cooperate with segments 12 to 15 and 10 to 17carried by the rotatable drum A. Said segments are divided into threeelectrically independent groups whereas the segments of each group areelectrically connected. As shown the controller also comprises a set often stationary contacts 18 to 27, adapted to cooperate selectively withgroups of segments 19 to 22 and 24 to 27 or 18 to 21 and 23 to 26carried by auxiliary drum B.

As aforeindicated, any suitable or well known interlocking means (notshown) is preferably provided whereby the auxiliary drum B is renderedimmovable from any given position thereof except when the main drum isin off position; whereas upon movement of the auxiliary drum B into oneor the other of its operative positions to provide forward or reverseconnections for the motors jointly, the well known series-parallelcommutation of the motor circuits may be effected by movement of themain drum A to the right or in a counterclockwise direction, or themotors may be subjected directly to parallel commutation by movement ofthe main drum A to the left or in a clockwise direction.

More specifically, assuming movement of auxiliary drum B is a clockwisedirection to effect engagement of segments 19 to 22 and 2 f; to 27" withthe respective stationary contacts 19 to 22 and 24 to 27, and furtherassuming movement of main drum A in a counterclockwise direction toposition 1, in which segments 12 and 15 are in engagement with therespective stationary contacts 12 and 15. the motors will be connectedto the line in series with one another and in series with the foursections of resistance 7' to r, inclusive. Said circuit may be tracedfrom line L to contact 20, segments 20 and 19, contact 19 through thearmature of motor M to contact 21. segments 21 and 22 contacts 22 and 18through field 7', thence through resistance r contact 17, resistance rto contact 15, and from segment 15 to segment 12 by contact 12 throughresistance 1' contact 10 and resistance r, thence through field 7. bycontact 27 through segments 27 and 26 to contact 26, through thearmature of motor M to contact 24:, by segments 24" and 25 to contact25, and thence to line L Upon further movement of main drum A in acounterclockwise direction to position 2 the aforedescribed seriesconnections are maintained, but segment 13 is brought into engagementwith contact 13, thereby shortcircuiting resistances r and r whereasupon movement of drum A to position 3 segment 14 is brought intoengagement with contact 14, thereby short-circuiting resistances r and rwhich provides for series connection of motors M and M directly acrossthe line.

Upon movement of drum A to position 00 the connections last describedare maintained whereas engagement of the respective segments 11 12 15"and 16 with their cooperating fixed contacts 11, 12,15 and 16 servesadditionally to connect the motors across the line in parallel with oneanother, resistances r and 1* being included in the circuit of motor Mand resistances r and 1 being included in the circuit of motor 1Movement of drum A to position 4 serves to interrupt the seriesconnection between the motors, the parallel connections beingunaffected.

Movementof drum A to position 5 serves toexclude resistance r from thecircuit of motor M and similarly to exclude resistance r from thecircuit of motor M whereas movement of drum A to position 6 serves toconnect said motors directly across the supply lines in parallelrelation. A suitable stop or projection (not shown) may be provided forpreventing further movement of drum A in a counterclockwise direction.

Obviously by the foregoing arrangement the motor circuits when connectedin parallel are maintained of substantially equal resistance, similarresistance variations being simultaneously effected in both. Where suchequality of the resistance value in the two circuits is not essentialand where it is expedient to increase the number of operative positionsof the drum A for series parallel commutation by increasing the numberof segments thereof, it is possible to effect a material increase in thenumber of accelera tion points without any increase in the number offixed contacts or resistance steps. The features last described aredisclosed inmy Patent No. 1,460,546, dated July 3, 1923, and hence formno part of the present invention.

The present invention, on the other hand comprises an arrangement ofcontact segmentson drum A whereby the same may be moved in acounterclockwise direction to effect series parallel commutation of themotors jointly, as atoredescribed, or, alternatively, said drum may bemoved in a clockwise direction to provide for parallel commutation ofthe motors jointly in the first instance. 7

Thus, with auxiliary drum B in the operative position heretoforementioned, and with main drum A in the off position, the

latter may be moved in a clockwise direction to position 1 therebydirectly eflt'ecting parallel connection of motors l 1 and M withrespect to the line. In position 1-, the motors are connected acrosslines L L in parallel relation throughengagement of segments 11 12 15and 16 with their respective contacts 11, 12, 15 and 16, resistances rand r being included in the circuit of motor M and resistances r and 1being included in the circuit of motor M as described in connection withposition 4, without, however, requiring prior series commutation of themotors. Upon movement of drum A to position 2 segment 10 engages contact10 thereby. excluding resistance 1' from the circuit of motor 1W whereasupon movement of said drum to position 3 segment 17 engages contact 17thereby excluding resistance 1= from the circuit of motor M Uponmovement of drum A to position 4 segments 13 and 14 are in engagementwith contacts 13 and 14 thereby connecting the motors directly acrossthe supply lines in parallel relation. heretofore mentioned may also beadapted to prevent further movement ofdrum A in a clockwise direction.As aforeindicated the drum segments may be designed or arranged in amanner to effect the parallel circuit commutation by excluding equalvalues of resistance simultaneously from the respective motor circuits,or if desired one of the segment-s l3 or 14 may be arranged to engageits cooperating fixed contact prior to the other, thereby increasing thenumber of steps of resistance gradation.

As aforeindicated, the auxiliary drum B may be moved to its otheroperative position wherein the segments 18 to 21 and 23'? to 26 are inengagement with the respective fixed contacts 18 to 21 and 23 to 26,subject, however, to prior positioning of drum A in its off position.The aforedescribed se ries parallel or straight parallel commutation ofthe motor circuits may then be effected by corresponding movement ofdrum A,each of the motors, however, being connected to the line in amanner to rotate in a reverse direction from that heretofore described,as will be obvious.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to provide a drumcontroller whereby a plurality of motors may be selectively thrown intoseries or into parallel relation according to the direction of rotationof the drum, but I believe that I am the first to provide a drumcontroller whereby a pluralityof motors may be commutated in a seriesparallel relation or alternatively commutated in a parallel relationonly, according to the direction of rotation of a single drum.

That I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

The stop l lill) 1. The combination with a plurality of electric motorshaving power circuits supplied with energy from a common source ofcommon control means for said circuits com prising fixed contacts and asingle rotatable drum, segments carried by said drum and arranged tocooperate with said fixed contacts, said drum being freely rotatable inone direction from off position to sequentially effect connection withsaid source and series parallel commutation of said power circuitswithout interruption of the continuity of the latter, and said drumbeing also freely rotatable in the opposite direction from off positionto directly effect parallel connection of said circuits with saidsource.

2. The combination with a plurality of power circuits, of a commonsource of en ergy supply therefor, a controller adapted to sequentiallyeffect series parallel connections of said circuits with said source oralternatively to effect direct parallel connection thereof only, saidcontroller comprising a single rotatable drum having a plurality ofelectrically independent groups of segments and fixed contacts arrangedto cooperate therewith, said drum having a single off position and beingfreely rotatable at will in opposite directions from said off positionthereof to respectively effect said series parallel connections or saiddirect parallel connection of said circuits with said source.

3. The combination with a plurality of electric motors, power circuitstherefor, and a common source of energy supply for said power circuits,of a plurality of resistance sections to be initially included in saidcircuits, and control means providing for series parallel or directparallel connection of said power circuits with said source and forgradually excluding said resistance sections, said control meanscomprising a plurality of fixed contacts and a single rotatable drumhaving three electrically independent groups of segments arranged tocooperate with said fixed contacts, said drum having a single offposition and being freely rotatable in one direction from off positionto effect connection to said source and series parallel commutation andresistance variation of said circuits, and said drum being also freelyrotatable in the opposite direction from said off position to directlyeffect only parallel connection to said source and resistance variationof said circuits.

4. The combination with a plurality of electric motors, of powercircuits therefor supplied with energy from a common source, controlmeans for said circuits comprising fixed contacts and a single drumhaving a plurality of groups of segments arranged to cooperate with saidfixed contacts to effect parallel connection of said circuits with saidsource, and said drum having another group of segments at one side ofsaid first mentioned groups of segments and arranged to cooperate withcertain of said fixed con tacts for effecting series connection of saidcircuits prior to parallel connection thereof upon movement of said drumin one direction from a single off position thereof, said firstmentioned segments being also cooperable with said contacts uponmovement of the drum in the opposite direction from said off position todirectly effect parallel connection of said circuits with said source.

5. The combination with a pair of electric motors having power circuitsand a common source of energy supply therefor, of control means for saidcircuits comprising a single control drum having a plurality of fixedcontacts and a plurality of groups of segments to cooperate with saidfixed contacts to effect parallel connection of said circuits with saidsource, another group of segments at one side of said first mentionedsegments for effecting series connection of said circuits with saidsource prior to parallel connection thereof upon movement of said drumin one direction from off position thereof, said first mentionedsegments being also cooperable with said contacts upon movement of thedrum in the opposite direction from said off position to directly effectparallel connection of said circuits with said source, and anindependently operable auxiliary control drum having contacts andsegments cooperating with the aforementioned contacts and segments toselectively effect forward or reverse power connections for the motorsjointly.

6. The combination with a plurality of electric motors, of powercircuits therefor supplied with energy from a common source, controlmeans for said circuits comprising a plurality of resistance sections tobe initially included in said circuits and means for gradually excludingsaid resistance sections under conditions of sequential series parallelor initial parallel connection of said circuits with said source, saidmeans comprising a plurality of fixed contacts and a single rotatabledrum having three electrically independent groups of segments arrangedto cooperate therewith, said drum being freely rotatable in onedirection from a single off position to effect sequential seriesparallel connection to said source and resistancevariation of saidcircuits, and said drum being also freely rotatable in the 0ppositedirection from said off position to directly effect only parallelconnection to said source and resistance variation of said circuits.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

RICHARD B. HUNTER.

